The fascination with the genius of Lee Alexander McQueen

There are times when you are in the presence of genius. And there are moments when just any thought or comment turn silent in front of his work, when the only appropriate reaction is of gratitude for his sheer generosity to be a genius.

For me, this is the case for Alexander McQueen. Genius in his soul, mind, work and art. Innovative and fine observer. ’’Birds in flight fascinate me. I admire eagles and falcons. I’m inspired by a feather, but also its colour, its graphics, its weightlessness and its engineering. It’s so elaborate. In fact, I try and transpose the beauty of a bird to women.’’

And my attitude is similar to that of the curators of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art 2011 exhibition, Savage Beauty, as the pages of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty album – USD 34.90 at Amazon – capturing some of his most striking designs, are true testimonies to McQueen’s spirit.

The exceptional photography, above all thanks to Sølve Sundsbø’s composition – models in fluid movement, the shots of whom were then digitally processed to render them as mannequins – is an imagery organically linked to Alexander McQueen’s unique aesthetic. While the minimal supporting texts belong to McQueen himself and demonstrate the same level of consummate and clear thinking behind each of his creations – ’’There’s blood beneath every layer of skin. ’’

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is not a summer read, nor is it the most recent fashion release. It is an excellent album, a window wide open into the exceptional world of a genius.